FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUNDAY, SEPT. 9, 2012

Buncombe County man wins House-Autry Mills
Southern Fried Classic recipe contest

FLETCHER — Leonard Crook of Buncombe County earned top honors and $250 for his “Baked-Smoked Salmon” recipe in the House-Autry Mills Southern Fried Classic recipe contest at the 2012 N.C. Mountain State Fair.

Rheta Merrell of Rutherford County and Sharon Gates of Buncombe County finished second and third respectively. Merrell’s recipe earned her $100 in prize money, while Gates took home $50. Connie Pegg of Buncombe County received an honorable mention in the contest.

Contestants were asked to prepare a dish using a meat or vegetables coated in a House-Autry Mills breader. Each entry was required to use at least a half cup of breader. Recipes were judged on taste, creativity and ease of preparation. Following is Crook’s winning recipe.

BAKED-SMOKED SALMON

2 1/3 pounds of Salmon fillet
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon Bojangles’ French Fry Seasoning
1 teaspoon dill weed
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup House-Autry seafood breader
3 ounces hickory chips

Place salmon on a flat board and apply even amounts of olive oil to both sides. Use a small sifter to apply the breader on both sides. Apply the garlic salt, Bojangles’ seasoning and dill weed to topside only. Apply the parsley flakes and paprika as evenly as possible. Cook the salmon in a smoker at about 200 F degrees for 30 minutes. Finally, broil the salmon in a conventional oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

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